There are songs that birds don't sing to people There are secrets you keep right through to the end There are heros they hide until forever And I'm singin' this song for one of them
He's the man that you passed on the road there The one with his life on the loose Goin' either somewhere or nowhere Goin' without me without you
For he is this world's constant orphan Travelin' out his long time Livin' on apples from orchards And dyin' from grapes on the vine
You can find him in big city winters Out where the mission bell crys And sorrow echos through the suburbs And tries to close all his eyes
And dream of his railroad existance As if it were some kind of dream As if the extent of the distance Were what his heart would go him
You can find him in Pittsburg at Christmas You can find him in Buffalo in June And he knows all the back roads between them Like a Gypsy he pulls a broom
And it's route twenty-two all over again Stake it well down and try to look like sombody's friend Look strong at the men smile for the girls Puzzle at the rest of the world